Accessory supports for surgical operating tables and the like



July 24, 1962 Filed Jan. 21, 1960 J. DOUGLASS, JR, ETAL 3,046,072ACCESSORY SUPPORTS FOR SURGICAL OPERATING TABLES AND THE LIKE 3Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS JOHN DOUGLA$$,JR.

ANBDYGEORGE R. CHERVENKA ATTORNEY y 1962 J. DOUGLASS, JR. ETAL 3,046,072

ACCESSORY SUPPORTS FOR SURGICAL OPERATING TABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan.21, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JOHN DOUGLASS,JR. AND GEORGE R.CHERVENKA BY FIG. 7. WW

ATTORNEY July 24, 1962 J. DOUGLASS, JR., ETAL 3,046,072

ACCESSORY SUPPORTS FOR SURGICAL OPERATING TABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan.21, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS ANIII)i GEORGE R. CHERVENKA aATTORNE F JOHN DOUGLASS, JR.

United States Patent 3,046,072 ACCESSGRY SUPPORTS FOR SURGKCAL SPER-ATING TABLES AND THE LIKE John Douglass, Jr., and George R. Chervenka,St. Louis,

Mo., assignors to Shampaine Industries, Inc, a corporation of MissouriFiled Jan. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 3,757 3 Claims. (Cl. 311-10) Thisinvention relates to certain new and useful improvements in operatingtables and, more particularly, to an accessory device to be attached toan operating table for supporting a patients limb in laterallyout-stretched position.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a limbsupporting board for surgical operating tables which may be readilyadjusted in elevation, longitudinal position, and angle with respect tothe longitudinal axis of the surgical table with a minimum of time andeffort, thereby permitting rapid adjustment prior to, or during, surgeryas the need may arise.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adjustablemeans for mounting on a surgical table to provide an arm or leg restwhich may be readily transferred to a multitude of positions by anindividual operator in a minimum of time.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a bracket whichis adapted for mounting on a surgical table and readily positionablethereon and is also adapted to accept and support an arm rest or legrest on the operating table.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a bracketin which an arm rest may be readily locked and unlocked by a very rapidand simple manipulation.

With the above and other objects in view, our invention resides in thenovel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination ofparts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

in the accompanying drawings (three sheets)- FiG. l is a fragmentaryperspective view of a surgical taole having an arm board constructed inaccordance with and embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing thebracket as it is being installed on a surgical table:

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view also similar to FIG. 2 showingthe bracket in position for accepting an arm rest, a leg rest, or thelike;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational View of a leg rest construc tion forinsertion in the bracket;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8;and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of an operating table having aleg board constructed in accordance with and embodying the presentinvention.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to thedrawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment of the presentinvention, A designates a surgical operating table including a framework1 and an upwardly presented work surface 2, and provided on each of itslongitudinal sides with an elongated side rail 3. Slidably mounted onthe side rail 3 is a bracket 4 into which an arm board 5 or a leg board6 may be inserted and locked 2 in a multitude of positions with respectto the operating table A.

The side rail 3 includes an outwardly presented vertical face 7 andupper and lower horizontal edge-faces 8, 9, and is secured in spacedrelationship from the framework 1 by conventional means in such mannerthat it extends longitudinally along the side of the surgical table Awith the outwardly presented face 7 and the upper and lower edgefaces 8,9, unobstructed for receiving a bracket 4. The bracket 4 includes anoutwardly extending shell 10 and an upwardly extending slide-formingmember 11, the slideforming member 11 being integrally formed on theshell 13, and including a bore 12 and an upper horizontal flange i3terminated by an inner lip 14. The flange 13 and the lip 14 respectivelyinclude inwardly presented flat intersecting surfaces 15, 16, forpurposes presently more fully appearing. The slide-forming member 11 isalso provided with a third surface 17, which intersects the surface 15,thereby defining a groove 18 which is integral with the bracket 4 andwhich is sized for overlapping engagement with the face 7 and the upperedge-face 8 of the side rail 3. The surface 17 is also provided with anelongated recessed groove 19 to reduce friction against the face 7 ofthe side rail 3 when the slide-forming member 11 is engaged upon theside rail 3.

The arcuate shell 10, at its flat outer end 21, is provided with avertical groove 22 which comprises two inwardly converging lateral walls23, 24, which are intersected by an arcuate back wall 25, for purposespresently more fully appearing. The shell 14 is also provided with a'horizon tal inwardly extending passageway 26, which is formed by afirstbore 27 and a rear annular recess 28, the bore 27 and the recess 2;;being co-axial and being provided with a counterbored shoulder 29 attheir intersection 30 for purposes presently more fully appearing. Theshell 10 is also provided with a vertical bore 31 which extends from thelower margin of the shell 10 into the rear portion of the bore 27 and issized for insertion of a conventional spring pin 32 which extendspartially into the passageway 26 for purposes presently more fullyappearing.

A sleeve 33 is held in place in the outer end 34 of the bore 12 by alocking screw 35 which is inserted in a threaded hole 36, the threadedhole 36 intersecting the recess 28 and thereby affording access to thelocking screw 35. inserted in the hollow portion of the sleeve 33 is arod 37, which has a substantially enlarged tapered end 38 and which isprovided at its other end with a capforming plate 39 threadedly mountedthereon, as depicted in FIG. 2. The tapered end 38 includes an inwardlypresented flat surface 40, which forms an annular shoulder about the rod37 and serves to abut a conventional spring 41. which is placed aboutthe rod 37 between the tapered end 38 and the sleeve 33 for purposespresently more fully appearing.

Sized for insertion wit-bin the passageway 26 is an elongated pull-rod42 including an elongated cylindrical body 43, a substantially smallerthreaded end 44, and an outwardly extending rectangular neck 45, theneck 45 being provided with an aperture 46 and being cut off obliquelyat its upper end 47. Loosely inserted over the threaded end 44 of thepull-rod 42 is a washer 43 including an annular wall 49 and a shoulder50, the washer 48 being loosely held in place about the end 44- by alock nut 51 including an integral resilient locking sleeve 52. Thepullrod 4-2 is sized substantially smaller than the passageway 26, andthe body 43 is provided with a vertical passageway 53 including a pairof spaced converging lateral walls 55, 5d, intersected by a fiat forwardwall 56 and a rear arcuate wall 57, the walls 54, 55, 57, beingcongruent to the walls 23, 24, 25. The pull-rod 42 is also provided witha lower recessed groove 58 which extends from the inner end of the body43 to the passageway 53 and is positioned to provide sliding clearancefor the spring pin 32 for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Provided for disposition upon the neck 45 and for abutting the flat end21 of the shell 18 is an annular clamping plate 59 including an aperture68, sized to permit slidable movement of the neck 45, and an annularcounterbore 61, which is sized to permit movement of the outer end ofthe body 43 in the plate 59. In assembling the pull-rod 42 within theshell 18, a spring 62, preferably though not necessarily of thedished-washer type, is placed over the end 44 of the pull-rod 42 and thewasher 48 and the lock nut 51 are then placed upon the end 44, whereuponthe pull-rod is transposed through the passageway 26 and the spring pin32 is urged through the bore 31, thereby securing the pull-rod 42 to theshell 18. The cap 59 is then placed over the neck 45, and a conventionallever handle 63, provided with a recessed groove 64 including a flatbight 65, is secured to the neck 45 by a pin 66 inserted in the aperture46, the obliqueness of the upper end 47 of the neck 45 providingclearance for the bight 65 of the handle 63 as it is rotated about thepin 66. The handle 63 is bifurcated and includes spaced parallel cams 67through which the pin 66 is inserted. These cams 67 include high points68 which are approximately midway along camming surfaces 69, thecarnming surfaces 69 placing the converging and arcuate surfaces of thegroove 22 and the passageway 53 into alignment when the handle is in theup position.

The camming surfaces 69 also include a fiat surface 70 for holding thepull-rod 42 against the force of the 7 spring 62 when the handle 63 isin the down position, and an upper flat surface 71 which enables thespring 62 to shift the passageway 53 and the groove 22 into alignmentwhen the handle 63 is in the fully raised position, whereby to define apassageway 73 formed of the groove 22 and the passageway 53 in alignmentfor purposes presently more fully appearing.

Sized for insertion in the passageway 73 is an elongated rod 74, whichincludes an arcuate bend 75 and terminates in a collar 76 provided witha bore 77. Provided for pivotal attachment to the collar 76, by means ofa securely attached threaded rod 78 inserted in the aperture 77, is abrace-mounting 79 having a flat upper plate 88 which is substantiallyrectangular in cross-section and is provided with parallel sides 81, 82.Interposed between the plate 80 and the collar 76, and held in spacedrelationship from the plate 88 by means of a spring 83, is acomplementary under-plate 84 which includes a pair of parallel side-s85, 86, and which is pro vided with a centrally located aperture 87 forslidable movement on the rod 78. The plates 88, 84, are held in alignedrelationship by a pair of spaced guide pins 88, 89, which are secured tothe upper plate 88 and extend through apertures 90, 91, in the lowerplate 84, whereby, when the lower plate 84 moves on the rod 78, thesides 81, 82, 85, 86, are retained in parallel relationship one to theother. The rod 78 is inserted through the aperture 87 in the collar 76and is provided, at its other end, with a knob 92 and an acorn nut 93,the acorn nut 93 being provided to prevent the knob 92 frominadvertently being removed from the rod 78. Provided for slidableengagement with the brace-mounting 79 is an arm rest 94 comprising abase plate 95, to the under side of which is attached a pair ofcomplernentary parallel angle members 96, 97, each provided wtih aninwardly extending flange 98, 99, the flanges 98, 99, being spaced by adistance substantially equal to the width of plates 80, 84, and beinginterposed between said plates between the sides 81, 85, and 82, 86,respectively. Also attached to the base plate 95 is a resilient pad 100comprising a cushion-like lining 181, preferably, though notnecessarily, made of foam rubber, and a cover 102, the cover 182 beingattached along its side margins 103, 184, to the angle members 96, 97,and at its ends 185, 106, to the base plate 95. It should be noted thatthe ends 167, 108, of the pad 100 extend downwardly into the trackwaydefined by the angle members 96, 97, whereby to function as end stopsthereof, thus retaining the base plate between the angle members 96, 97.

The leg board 6, which is adapted for insertion in the alignedpassageways 53, 73, of the bracket 4, comprises an elongated rod 189which is provided at its upper end 116 with a fitting 111 to which isrigidly attached a second rod 112 which includes an arcuate bend 113 andterminates in a collar 114, the collar 114 being substantially identicalto the collar 76 and including an aperture 115 sized for acceptance ofthe threaded rod 78,

whereby the brace-mounting 79 may be attached thereto. Sized forslidable mounting on the brace-mounting 79 is a leg pad 116 whichincludes a pair of longitudinally extending parallel angle members 117,118, which are attached to a base plate 119 and which are substantiallyidentical to the angle members 96, 97, in the arm brace 5. The leg pad116 includes a resilient inner pad 128 and a durable cover 121. Itshould be noted that the angle members 117, 118, are each provided witha flange 122, 123, sized for insertion between the plates 88, 84, alongthe sides 81, 82, 85, 86, thereof. The ends 124, 125, of the pad 116extend downwardly beneath the lower limit of the angle members 117, 118,Whereby to function as a stop for the trackway defined thereby, thusacting as a means for retaining the pad 116 on the brace-mounting 79.

In use, the bracket 4 is attached to the operating table by urging theplate 39 outwardly and placing the surfaces 15, 16, 17, of theslide-forming member 11 over the face 7 and the edge-face 8 of the siderail 3, whereupon the bracket 4 is moved downwardly thereby bringing thesurface 15 in direct contact with the upwardly presented surface of theedge-face 8 and the surface 17 in direct contact with the outwardlypresented surface of.

the face 7. The plate 39 may then be released, whereupon the spring 41urges the tapered end 38 inwardly into locking contact with thedownwardly presented surface of the edge-face 9, as shown in FIG. 2,thereby locking the bracket 4 to the side rail 3 and resultingly to theoperating table. To change the position of the bracket 4 on the siderail 3, it is merely necessary to urge the plate 39 slightly outwardly,thereby releasing the side rail 3 for longitudinal movement.

Upon raising the handle 63, the pull-rod 42 is urged outwardly until thehandle passes over the high point 68 on the camming surface 69 and thenthe rod 42 is urged inwardly by the spring 62 allowing passage-Ways 22,53, to become aligned whereby the elongated rod 74 may be slid thereinto any desired position. When the rod 74 is in the desired position, thehandle 63 is lowered thereby clamping the rod 74 between the backsurface 72 of clamping plate 59 and inwardly converging lateral walls23, 24 of shell 10. Since the spring 62 is compressed betweencounterbored shoulder 29 and shouldered washer 48 when handle 63 islowered, the spring 62 will provide substantial and highly effectiveclamping forces to hold the rod securely in clamped position. Thelateral walls 23, 24, of shell 10 function to prevent rotation of therod either about its longitudinal axis or about the axis of the rod 42.

The position of the arm rest 94 of the arm board 5 may be adjusted withrespect to the collar 76 by rotating the knob 92 downwardly, whereuponthe plates 80, 84, became separated and the base plate 95 may beslidably moved with respect thereto along the angle members 96, 97. Whenthe padded portion of the arm rest 94 is in the desired position, theknob 92 is tightened, thereby bringing the plates 80, 84, substantiallyclose together, whereupon the flanges 98, 99, of the angle members 96,97, are clamped securely between the plates 80, 84, thereby preventingthe padded portion of the arm board 5 from thereafter sliding withrespect to the brace-mounting 79. It should be noted that, upon therelease of the plates 80, 84, by the rotation of the knob 92, the armrest 94 may also be freely rotated about the collar 76.

Should the leg board 6 be desired to be used, it is merely necessary tocause the bracket 4 to slide along the side rail 3 by moving the plate39 outwardly in the manner previously described and substituting the legboard 6 for the arm board 5. The adjustment of the pad 116 with respectto the collar 114 may be made by releasing the knob 92 in the mannerpreviously described for the arm board 5 and sliding the leg board 6between the spaced plates 80, 84, along the angle members 117, 118,whereupon the leg board 6 may be locked by retightening the knob 92 onthe collar 114.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form,construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of theaccessory supports for surgical operating tables and the like may bemade and substituted for those herein shown and described withoutdeparting from the nature and principle of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable arm brace assembly comprising a rod having an elongatedaxially extending portion and an elongated outwardly extending portion,said axial and outwardly extending portions being connected by anarcuate bend of substantial radius, said outwardly extending portionterminating in a collar provided with an aperture, a rod insertedloosely in said aperture, a first plate rigidly attached to said rod, asecond plate loosely mounted on said rod between said collar and firstplate, means for retaining said first and second plates in alignment,said first and second plates each being provided with a pair of parallelopposing sides which are aligned when said plates are aligned one to theother, spring means for biasing said first and second plates into spacedrelationship, an arm rest base plate, a pair of complementary anglemembers rigidly secured to said base plate in spaced parallelrelationship, said angle members each being provided with an inwardlyextending flange in spaced relationship from said base plate whereby todefine a trackway, said flange being spaced at a distance equal to thewidth of the plate, a padded arm rest secured to said base plate, saidarm rest being provided with a pair of downwardly extending ends wherebyto provide end stops for the slide trackway defined by the parallelangle members on the base plate, and means for drawing said first andsecond plates together and to said collar when said flanges are placedbetween the aligned parallel sides of said first and second plates,whereby to lock said arm rest with respect to said plates and to saidcollar.

2. An adjustable arm brace assembly comprising a rod having an elongatedaxially extending portion and an elongated outwardly extending portion,said axial and outwardly extending portions being connected by anarcuate bend of substantial radius, said outwardly extending portionterminating in a collar provided with an aperture, a rod insertedloosely in said aperture, a first plate rigidly attached to said rod, asecond plate loosely mounted on said rod between said collar and firstplate, a plurality of spaced guide pins secured to the underside of saidfirst plate and extending through apertures in said second plate forretaining said first and second plates in alignment, said first andsecond plates each being provided with a pair of parallel opposing sideswhich are aligned when said plates are aligned one to the other, springmeans for biasing said first and second plates into spaced relationship,an arm rest base plate, a pair of complementary angle members rigidlysecured to said base plate in spaced parallel relationship, said anglemembers each being provided with an inwardly extending flange in spacedrelationship from said base plate whereby to define a trackway, a paddedarm rest secured to said base plate, said arm rest being provided with apair of downwardly extending ends whereby to provide and stops for theslide trackway defined by the parallel angle members on the base plate,and means for drawing said first and second plates together and to saidcollar when said flanges are placed between the aligned parallel sidesof said first and second plates, whereby to lock said arm rest withrespect to said plates and to said collar.

3. An adjustable arm brace assembly comprising a rod having an elongatedaxially extending portion and an elongated outwardly extending portion,said axial and outwardly extending portions being connected by anarcuate bend of substantial radius, said outwardly extending portionterminating in a collar provided with an aperture, a rod insertedloosely in said aperture, a first plate rigidly attached to said rod, asecond plate loosely mounted on said rod between said collar and firstplate, means for retaining said first and second plates in alignment,said first and second plates each being provided with a pair of parallelopposing sides which are aligned when said plates are aligned one to theother, spring means for biasing said first and second plates into spacedrelationship, an arm rest base plate, a pair of complementary anglemembers rigidly secured to said base plate in spaced parallelrelationship, said angle members each being provided with an inwardlyextending flange in spaced relationship from said base plate whereby todefine a trackway, a padded arm rest secured to said base plate, saidarm rest being provided with a pair of downwardly extending ends wherebyto provide end stops for the slide trackway defined by the parallelangle members on the base plate, said rod having a knob threadedlyattached at its lower end for drawing said first and second platestogether and to said collar when said flanges are placed between thealigned parallel sides of said first and second plates, whereby to locksaid arm rest with respect to said plates and to said collar, and anacorn nut secured to said rod immediately below said knob to prevent theknob from being removed from the rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent Douglass Apr. 19, 1960

